India To Acquire 24 MH-60R Seahawk Helicopters For $2.6B

The Indian Navy is set to acquire 24 MH-60R Seahawk Anti-Submarine Helicopters from the US for $2.6 billion (INR 18,340 Crore), Strategic page reported Thursday.

Each helicopter will cost about $109 million (INR 764 Crore) which includes accessories, spare parts, tech support and the cost of establishing maintenance facilities for the new type of helicopter.

These copters can both be used for anti-submarine warfare and for attacks on surface vessels using hellfire missiles. In order to detect submarines the helicopters would be equipped with sonar and radar.

The radar system can be used to detect submarines travelling on the surface or just below. This is especially effective considering modern nuclear submarines travel just below the ocean surface to get rid of exhaust fumes.

These helicopters are the naval version of the US Army’s Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and can be used for search and rescue operations.